


The Lady Vanishes

by AreYouSittingComfortably



Category: The Musketeers (2014)
Genre: F/M, Loss, Love, Moving On, Regret
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-28
Updated: 2016-02-28
Packaged: 2018-05-23 17:52:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6125086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AreYouSittingComfortably/pseuds/AreYouSittingComfortably
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They have no reason to trust each other,<br/>But who else can they trust?<br/>Who else can he love?</p>
<p>A little bit of Athos and Porthos angst - not wanting to say goodbye to Milady (in S02E10) and Flea (in S01E05).</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Athos & Milady

Athos stands,   
holding her glove,   
turning it over and over in his hand,  
his mind a whirl. 

He is too late, she has gone. 

The only woman he has ever loved,   
lost to him again.

The first time he lost her he was blinded by rage,   
unable to believe the word of  
a woman who had lied to him about her past.   
Unable to believe ill of his brother. 

Now, here he is again, alone.

He should have kept walking,   
Straight out of the church,   
and jumped on his horse,   
And ridden after her.

But he didn’t.   
He chose his brothers, again.

He mentally curses both D’Artagnan and Treville.   
Curses Aramis for the need to seek her help,  
for being the reason he got close to her again,   
for stopping him from killing her.

He curses God, even though he stopped believing in him long ago,   
the day his brother died and he left his wife to swing.   
The day he walked away from everything he’d ever known.

He curses himself.   
He, Athos, is cursed.   
Cursed by a love he cannot live with,  
cursed by a love he cannot live without.   
Cursed by a need he cannot control,   
an ache that never goes away.   
She burns like a fire in his veins,   
the memory of their passionate embrace  
unbalancing him.

She was right,   
they are bound to each other.   
They have no reason to trust each other,  
but who else can they trust?   
Who else can he love?

The sun sets, and still he stands there,   
sinking deeper in a spiral of memories and regrets.

She seduced D’Artagnan,   
enchanted King Louis,  
made a fool of the Queen,   
killed at The Cardinal’s bidding,  
(and indubitably without).   
And yet,  
she helped rescue the Queen,   
and saved Aramis,   
without reason to do either.

She killed one brother,  
but she saved another,   
and that is enough to love her.   
  
He will see her again,  
of that he is sure.   
  
She is lost to him now,  
but he still has his brothers.  
And wine.   
So he turns away,  
climbs back on his horse  
and returns to the garrison.

Her glove tucked deep in his pocket.

 


	2. Porthos & Flea

His brothers come and find him,  
lead him from the Court of Miracles.  
But he leaves her behind, Flea.  
He’s no longer part of that world,  
nor she of his,  
though he wishes it were different.

Flea.  
Following them around,  
a pest to the young boys  
they’d once been.  
Persistent though,  
refusing to be chased away.

She fought like a boy,  
she cursed like a boy,  
she even dressed like a boy  
as a youngster.  
Resilient, street-smart,  
Flea.

There came a time when he couldn’t shake her,  
didn’t want to.  
A time when vests and breeches  
could no longer hide  
the woman she was inside.  
Flea.

He envies D’Artagnan’s  
blossoming relationship with Constance.  
Wishes he could love  
as freely as Aramis.  
But lonely as he feels right now,  
he wouldn’t trade places with Athos.

His brothers come for him  
and he’s happy to return  
to the garrison with them.  
But he doesn’t want  
to leave her behind.  
Flea.

He looks back over his shoulder,  
hoping to see her,  
but she’s vanished.  
Flea.


End file.
